Shattered Mirror
by AKEMI SHIKON
Summary: Now that the war against Voldemort is over, life is moving on. Hermione is a parole officer for the Ministry, and Lucius is under house arrest with a shattered soul. Will Hermione be able to lead Lucius out of his darkness? Or will the darkness prevail?
1. Chapter 1

Lucius Malfoy drank from his goblet of Firewhiskey and glared into the fire. The sound of the rushing wind outside was magnified in the huge empty mansion. His once beautiful mane of white-blonde hair was now dull, lank, and greasy and his once beautiful face was marred with various scars from deep cuts. A cracked mirror was next to the hand that was holding the goblet on a small table. A blood encrusted blade was also next to him, but no one would know that. No one visited him these days, due to him being under permanent house arrest. Not even his family came to visit him. Narcissa had long ago left him for another, younger man. His only son, Draco Malfoy, thought him a disgrace to the family because of his actions during the War and so had no contact with him whatsoever now that it was over. Lucius set the goblet down on the small table next to him and picked up the mirror. He looked at his reflection, and then looked down at his bare arm that contained a black tattoo of a skull and snake. The Dark Mark. Making a face, he hurled the mirror away from him and it shattered as it hit the wall. He picked up his goblet once again and sipped from it calmly. He did not notice the house elf that appeared in the room and began to pick up the pieces. The elf looked sadly at his master. Even though he could pick up the pieces of a shattered mirror, he could not pick up the pieces of his shattered soul.

OOO

Hermione Jean Granger rushed into her office at the Ministry with her hair falling out of its bun. As a schoolgirl, Hermione would've laughed at the suggestion of her working at the Ministry of Magic at the tender age of twenty. At the time, the Ministry's actions during the War made it highly unpopular among the general public. However, as the muggle equivalent of a parole officer and counselor, she couldn't deny that the ministry had improved since then, and the wages weren't half bad.

Two hours later as Hermione was working on paperwork, a soft knock sounded at the door.

"Enter," she said.

A handsome young man of twenty-four, at most, entered her office.

"Gee Hermione, I never knew you could fly. Why didn't you tell me?" the young man laughed. Hermione rolled her eyes at him and laughed at her friend's wittiness about her being late

"What do you need James?" she asked.

"You have a new assignment. I have the case file right here," James said seriously. Hermione looked up into his serious face, wondering why it was serious in the first place. Before she could ask, the look on his face turned to concern and said quietly, "be careful" and he left. Hermione, thinking on James' strange behavior, opened the file. The picture that popped out at her made her drop the folder, and gasp. There, sitting on her desk, was a picture of none other than ex-Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy. Her next assignment was Lucius Malfoy. Hermione worked through the rest of the day distracted. She was grateful that she didn't have to visit any of her convicts or do anything that required extreme concentration.

OOO

Binky stood at the window. There was a very pretty lady outside with kind eyes. _Maybe she will help Master Malfoy! _He clapped his hands in elfish delight. Help at last.

OOO

Hermione looked at the mansion with a fraction of fear. _What will he do when he sees me? Will he kill me? Stun me? Hit me? What will he do? Surely he will want revenge. _Hermione pushed the thoughts out of her mind. She normally never had thoughts like that, but her convicts weren't ex-Death Eaters. Lucius, however, was and Death Eaters weren't known for their generosity nor for their ability to easily forgive wrongs done to them perceived or not. Taking a deep breath, she walked forward and was about to knock with the brass snake-shaped knocker when the door opened seemingly on its own. She was about to step forward when a squeak stopped her. She looked down to find a smaller-than-average house-elf.

"Hello, miss. My name is Binky, and I am the house-elf here. Please, come in." he stepped aside to let her enter. Hermione looked around the house in awe and pity. The house was neat, but it wasn't _clean_. Everything, save the floor, had a thin layer of dust and the house was dark and looked un-lived in. The aura in the house was one of oppressiveness. _This was a beautiful house once, and if I am given a few days, I can make it beautiful again. ACK! Where did those thoughts come from! I was tortured in this place!_

Herminoe looked toward Binky, "Binky, I need to see Master Malfoy, can you take me to him please?"

"Of course, follow me," and Binky lead her through a dark hallway and opened a door somewhere in the middle of it.


	2. Chapter 2

Unlike the mansion, the room that Hermione was led to was clean and looked lived in. The wooden walls and floor were polished and shined in the firelight.

"The master is over there miss," Binky squeaked and then he winked out of the room. Hermione looked around and found a single chair situated in front of the fireplace. _ Geez, it's like the movies. _ Hermione walked behind the chair and in a soft, slightly trembling voice, called out Lucius' name.

"Mr. Malfoy?"

There was no answer. She tried again, "Mr. Malfoy", again, no answer. Getting frustrated she walked to the front of the chair and gasped at what she saw. There on the chair was Lucius Malfoy, except he wasn't the Malfoy she remembered. He was shirtless and looked malnourished. His hair was greasy, and he let a beard grow. Hermione couldn't see his face due to his oily, stringy hair and beard covering his face because he had his head bent. One of his arms was covered with dried blood. Hermione's heartstrings stirred. _He may be a convicted Deatheater, but no one should be or live like this. I have to help him. I'm his parole officer with a minor in healing. I can help him. _Hermione swallowed a wave of nerves and knelt down in front of Lucius.

"Mr. Malfoy," Hermione put her hand on Lucius' blood encrusted arm. At this, Lucius raised his head. It was then that Hermione saw the scars. Hermione had heard different versions of the story of how the scars were obtained, but according to investigations done by Aurors, when the Malfoy's fled from the battle a stray Deatheater sent a nasty slicing hex towards the elder Malfoy. The hex left nasty scars that covered a good portion of his face.

"Oh, Mr. Malfoy" Hermione moved to move a stray piece of hair from his face when he roared and pushed her to the floor.

"GET AWAY FROM ME! GO!" he sat back down with his hand covering his scarred face.

Frightened, Hermione got up off the floor and ran to the door. Her hand on the handle, she looked back at Lucius' hunched form and rushed from the room. Hermione was almost out of the front door when she heard a squeak.

"W-what do you want Binky?" she stammered. _ All I want to do is leave!_

"Miss must not go! The Master is broken! Miss must help Master! She must put him back together!"

"I wish I could Binky, but my job is just to make sure that he follows the rules of being on parole. My job isn't to fix him. " Hermione turned around to leave when Binky gave a loud squeak.

"Please miss! The Master was not always a cruel man! There used to be love and kindness in his heart! The Miss not understand Master! Please stay and help him! " Binky's eyes were big and watery and Hermione struggled to say no. _ It's true, I can't leave him like this. He needs help and it's obvious that Binky can't do this alone! Where's that Gryffindor courage and drive to help those in need no matter who they are! I'm staying to help!_

"Of course I'll stay Binky."

Binky gave a happy squeak and clapped his hands.

"Oh thank you miss, thank you! Binky will show you to your room now!" Binky grabbed Hermione's robe and began to tug when she stopped him.

"Actually Binky, I would like to start helping Mr. Malfoy tonight. Can you do me a favor Binky?" Hermione smiled at the pleased and eager face of the loyal house elf.

"Oh yes miss, anything!"

"Will you get me some supplies to wash Mr. Malfoy's arm, hair, and shave his beard?" Binky immediately winked out of the room. Hermione made her way back to the study. When she entered, she caught Lucius Malfoy in the act of cutting himself. She ran to him.

"No Mr. Malfoy!" she knocked the blade out of his hand.

"NO GIVE IT BACK!" he made a move to go to the blade but in his weakened state Hermione was able to stop him and push him back down into the chair. He tried three more times before he gave up and sat back down in his chair and hunched over. Hermione knelt down in front of him.

"Mr. Malfoy, look at me," she moved a stray lock of greasy hair behind his ear. She tried to speak with the most soothing tones possible,

"Mr. Malfoy, I'm here to help you. I'm here for you. I'm going to clean you up and then put you to bed, ok?" Lucius Malfoy did not respond. Binky appeared in the room with a washbasin, two hand towels, and a shaving potion.

"Thank you Binky, can you please put them on the table right there?"

"Of course miss." Binky left the items on the little table by the chair and winked out with a smile on his face. _The Master is finally getting help! _


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione wasn't surprised that the little elf brought a few muggle objects to help clean the elder Malfoy, _just like mother always says: "there's nothing more comforting to a person than a little muggle magic". _

Hermione took out her wand and filled the basin with water then cast a warming charm to warm it up. She grabbed a hand towel and dipped it into the water and made her way cautiously to Lucius. She grabbed his arm and put the damp cloth to the area that had the most concentration of blood when Lucius pushed her away so hard that once again she landed on the floor, "leave me alone" he growled out. He didn't even bother to look at her. _Argh! That is it! _Hermione's anger flared and the next thing she knew she jumped back on her feet and had her hands on her hips.

"That is enough Lucius Malfoy! I can't believe I agreed to help you! I originally came here to inform you that you are going to be put on parole and what happens!? I agree to help you because you need it, and all you do is push me to the floor! I will not tolerate it!" Hermioned panted for a few minutes and Lucius repeated in a quiet whisper, "please, just leave me alone". Hermione felt her heart clench and her anger receded. _No, I can't be angry at him. He's not in his right mind right now. I need to help him. I need to. No one should live like this. He can't be alone right now. _Once again Hermione knelt on the floor in front of him and moved some of his hair behind his ear. She put one hand on his blood encrusted forearm and one on his cheek. For the first time Lucius Malfoy's body tensed and his blue-gray eyes turned to her, most of his face hidden by his beard and greasy hair. Hermione began to speak in the most soft, comforting voice that she could muster,

"Lucius, I'm here for you. To help you. I'm not going to go anywhere. Let me help you." For a few long minutes, Lucius stared into Hermione's eyes and didn't say a word. Then he growled out, "I don't need help, especially from _you"_.

"Well too bad because I'm going to help you tonight whether you like it or not," was her reply. Without further ado, she magically bound him to his chair and cast another heating charm on the water and dipped the towel once again in the water and brought it to his arm. She paused for a moment but when he didn't move she went ahead and started to clean the blood off. After many rounds of dipping, vanishing bloody water, and dipping again, her heart clenched with pity when she noticed that the arm he had been cutting was the arm that had the Dark Mark. She finished cleaning his arm and moved to grab the shaving potion. She put some on her hands and then rubbed it into his beard and it began to sizzle. She kept on adding potion until there was just a little left in the bottle. She waited as the sizzling got more intense and then it stopped and all that was left was a smooth face, sans the scars littering his face. Hermione couldn't help but stare at his perfectly sculpted face that even scars and malnourishment couldn't mar. _Snap out of it Hermione! _She shook her head and noticed that his Lucius' eyes had a faraway look. She sighed and transfigured the potion bottle into a shampoo bottle and began to wash his hair. After a few washes and rinses Hermione transfigured the shampoo bottle into a conditioner bottle and applied it also. She rinsed it and grabbed the second towel and dried his hair as much as she could, combed it, and left the rest to dry naturally. She vanished everything and sat there looking him. _I don't think I'll be able to take him to his room, I don't even know where it is. I guess he'll have to stay here for tonight. _Hermione transfigured Lucius' chair into a bed complete with a pillow and blanket and hauled him up into it. She pulled the blanket up to his chest and conjured up a chair and sat on it. She would watch him for the rest of the night. _Just for tonight, I'll watch him. Just incase he tries something. _

**OOO**

The darkness was consuming him; there was no respite. **You're weak, worthless. You've fucked up so bad that not even the grass outside wants to see you. You deserve this life of isolation**, it said. Lucius Malfoy had gotten to the point where he welcomed the darkness most of the time. It was like a friend; a companion. It was always there and always honest. Then, there was a light piercing the darkness and an angel appeared in his line of sight. She had luscious curly brown hair and wide honey-colored eyes that had flecks of green; long, dark eyelashes rimmed these eyes. Her full, pouty lips were moving and when her voice reached his ears he cringed inside in recognition and once again the darkness consumed him. Taunted him. **Have you sunk this low? Are you so far gone that you find a mudblood beautiful? You're pathetic. Ugly. Weak. ** That was another thing about the darkness. It was always right. He had fallen so low that he found Gryffidor's Golden Princess attractive. _Not that she'd ever be attracted to me. I'm hideous now. Not even Narcissa wanted to be seen with me. _Lucius wanted to cry at the thought of his ex-wife. He may have been a very unpleasant man, but he loved his wife and son with all his heart and would do anything for them. His 'Cissa was the reason he became fully devoted to the Dark Lord, and it was his family that kept him going in Azkaban. Having the Dementors on the dark side helped too. _It was all for nothing. I'm alone now. I have no one. _Herminoe's voice finally reached him and when she moved to touch him, an intense stabbing pain and anger shot through his chest and he reacted. He yelled at her and pushed to the floor. When she hit the floor the pain stopped. He watched as she stood up and put her small, dainty, feminine hands on her hips.

"That is it Lucius Malfoy!"

Whatever else she said and was doing was lost to him. He felt the Darkness descend upon him once again. This time he held on to it for dear life. Because of the Darkness, he was unaware of all of his surroundings.


	4. Chapter 4

Lucius was finally able to breathe when the Darkness lifted again and he felt Hermione's touch and voice. _ How is she able to pierce through the Darkness? _ She was begging him to let her help him. The pain in his chest was so severe that all he could do was whisper.

"Please just leave me alone". She had to leave him alone. If she did, the pain would stop. And then it did. When she put both hands on him and moved his hair out of his face. The pain in his chest was replaced with a blossoming warmth. She was practically begging him to let her help. He was about to agree when flashes of his past flicked through his mind and the Darkness spoke to him, **this is what your life used to be like. You really have sunken low that you're really considering help from a mudblood. You're pathetic. **Anger rushed through Lucius' veins and he growled out,

"I don't need help, especially from you."

Hermione told him she was going to help anyway and proceeded to do just that. The shame Lucius felt was so intense and painful that he willingly searched out the Darkness within him and dove right into it. It showed him scenes from his past and taunted him. He listened and watched for what felt like decades when the Darkness showed him an scene that wasn't real, but sure felt like it.

_Lucius and Draco were out on an outing. There were talking about anything that came to mind and pride for his son swelled within him. They were both smirking at the women who openly stared in awe as they passed them. And why shouldn't they stare? Lucius and Draco were handsome with their fair blonde hair, blue grey eyes, and bodies that took hard work to get and maintain. All of a sudden, there was a woman's scream that startled him and Draco. They looked around and found a woman behind Lucius screaming and pointing at him. He put on his panty-dropping smile but that only made her scream louder. He turned to his son for help but all he found was a mocking smile on his son's face. _

"_Father, do you really think that you're so handsome? You're the scum of the earth. Ugly and horrifying. I'm ashamed to call you my father." With that Draco got up and began to walk away. A crowd had gathered. Some were jeering and laughing, others were screaming. He tried to get to his son, but someone tripped him and he fell to the ground. He reached for his son,_

"_Draco! Son! Help me!". Draco turned around and spoke one word only. _

"_Why?" with that Draco left his father on the ground surrounded by people who hated him._

"_No please! Come back come back! Draco!" the crowd started closing in. _

"_No! Leave me alone! Stop! Please!"….And then the crowd parted and a shadowed figure approached him and called his name in a husky voice that reminded him of water and wind. It was earthy and enchanting. All Lucius could see of this figure was luscious curly brown hair. It was still calling to him and it held out its hand to him and he took it. Immediately he was surrounded with a comforting warmth …._ Suddenly, the voice and warmth began to feel very real. It was then he realized that he was encircled in a pair of arms and that the body that the arms belonged to was in fact calling out his name over and over. It was the mudblood. Her embrace was so comforting that he wanted to cry like a little boy into her chest after his bad dream. _No, I will not cry in front this mudblood. I will NOT cry in front of the mudblood. _Then she was running her fingers through his hair telling him that he was all right and that everything was ok and that she was there. He felt the lump in his throat grow bigger and the tears were blurring his vision. It was then that he threw down his pride, lowered his wall, and began to sob gut wrenchingly into her chest. She rocked him back and forth while she ran her fingers through his hair. He sobbed and sobbed until his throat grew so hoarse that all he could do was whimper. After a few moments his whimpering died down and all that was left of his breakdown was little tremors of his body. He felt Herminoe's arms moving off of him and he realized that he didn't want that. He wanted her there with him. He wanted her to stay so he could take comfort from her and help for the night. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her to him as tight as he could. He heard her sigh and she put her arms around him again. They stayed like that for what seemed like hours before Lucius finally fell asleep breathing in her soothing scent, a mixture of musk and lavender. It was very soothing, feminine and earthy. For belonging to a mudblood, it was perfect.

**OOO**

Hermione watched Lucius sleep and noticed how much younger and carefree he looked while asleep. For a long moment, she debated with herself the reasons why she was there, in his embrace and why she even put herself in that position to begin with. _It was because he needed help. No, it was just a nightmare! Everyone has nightmares! He would've been fine without me hugging him. No, you saw how bad he was getting. _And it was true. One moment, she had been falling asleep in her chair when she heard Lucius begin to mumble in his sleep. When she heard him, her heart tugged at the thought of the cold, cruel man being vulnerable and mumbling in his sleep like a normal human being. Then the mumbling to worsen and became more desperate. _His dream must no be pleasant_, Hermione had thought to herself. _"Come back! Stop! Please!" _ Hermione had felt tears in her eyes when she heard his desperate please and before he knew it she had him cradled in her arms, running her fingers through his silky hair while muttering soothing words in his ear. She knew that he was awake by the trembling he tried to hide by tensing his body. She ignored it and still tried to comfort him. Then suddenly, he began to sob. Loudly. _What has this poor man been through? I will help him, no matter what. _Feeling determined, she rocked Lucius Malfoy back and forth until his sobbing turned to whimpering and his whimpering turned to small tremors. After a while he finally stopped and Hermione made to go back to her chair when she felt Lucius pull her to him. Out of habit, she sighed in slight annoyance and put her arms around him again.

After mentally debating her choice to help him, Herminoe looked down at the sleeping Malfoy and felt a tug in her heart. _No one should live like this. _Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

**A/N: K, GUYS, MERRY CHRISTMAS! I HAD ORIGINALLY PLANNED ON GETTING THIS OUT SOONER SO THAT YOU ALL COULD READ IT BEFORE TODAY, BUT ALAS, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. SO ANYWAY, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR! **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: OK GUYS! I TRIED TO MAKE THIS CHAPTER LONGER BUT IT DIDN'T WORK OUT SO WELL! ANYWAY, I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE IT!**

When Hermione woke up, the first thing she was aware of was a heavy weight across her middle and a minty aroma surrounded her. She couldn't help breathing in that wonderful scent. Then realization hit her when she heard a soft snore. _Oh my God! I fell asleep in Lucius' bed! Well, this isn't really his bed, seeing as to how it's just a cot….Ok Hermione, move his arm nice and slow….did he just mumble? _Hermione paused for few moments and sure enough, Lucius mumbled unintelligibly. Hermione couldn't help finding that trait adorable. She resumed trying to exit his embrace, but he pulled her closer and held her more tightly. Fearing his reaction if and when he woke up, Hermione quickly moved out of his embrace and prayed that she didn't wake him up. She looked back and found that he was still asleep and sighed in relief. _Ok Hermione, time to think. So Lucius… had a breakdown and you helped him without thinking twice. This is the guy that taught Draco how to use the term Mudblood and he is an ex-Death Eater who only defected because he was scared. He's been in trouble with the Ministry for years. So why did I help him? Why do I even care?...Because he needs me. Even his house-elf begged for me to help him. After everything I have seen, I will give him a chance. I am no mind healer or therapist, but I am a Ministry official and I have the authority to help him even though I am just a parole officer. He may be vile, but he deserves another chance. _With complete determination filling her being, she called Binky. Binky popped in and bowed low to her.

"What is the miss needing? Binky is happy to provide anything for the miss." Hermione smiled warmly. She looked back at Lucius and addressed Binky.

"Binky, could you please bring us some breakfast? On second thought, could you just bring a small bowl of grapes if you have them? Also, with the grapes can you bring a piece of parchment?"

"Oh absolutely miss!" Binky clapped happily. Binky pooped out of the room and was back instantly with a small bowl of grapes and the parchment. Hermione directed Binky to put the bowl and parchment on the small table by the chair that Lucius had been sitting on. She pointed her wand at the parchment and quickly wrote a note to Lucius before turning back to Binky.

"Binky, will you show me to my room? I would like to bathe" Hermione said with a smile.

"Of course miss! Right away!" Binky took Hermione's hand and led her out of the room.

**OOO**

For the first time in years, Lucius slept without having a nightmare. Instead, he was in a dreamless sleep. When he woke up, he was disoriented. However, after a few moments he remembered the events of the previous night and his body burned with shame. As he looked around the room, he noticed that Hermione wasn't there. His body shuddered with more shame and anger. _Not even she stayed with me. Even she left me after she promised that she was going to stay! _ Before he knew it, he bellowed out.

Almost immediately Binky popped in afraid that something had happened to his master.

"Master! What is wrong! Please tell Binky!"

Lucius whirled around to face his house elf.

"The woman that was here. Where is she? Did she leave?" he asked in a rush. By looking in Binky's eyes, Lucius could tell that the elf had picked up on the desperation in his voice.

"She's right here," a husky voice said. Lucius looked up and there stood Hermione, face flushed and her hair damp and held at the nape of her neck. _She never left. _Lucius' legs suddenly felt weak and they gave under him. In a flash, Lucius found Hermione's face two inches in front of his.

"What's wrong Lucius? Why did you yell like that?" The warmth and compassion in her eyes made warmth spread through his body and before he knew it, words poured out of his mouth.

"I thought you had left." Lucius looked down at the ground. Hermione put a finger under his chin and lifted. She looked straight into his eyes and said,

"I told you that I'm here for you and that I'm going to help you. I meant every single word. I never go back on my word."

Hermione's words made the warmth blossom into a heat and another emotion emerged that seemed familiar to Lucius, but it eluded him. Out of nowhere, the Darkness crept into his consciousness. ** How could you let the words of a mudblood affect you so much? You're pathetic. ** _It's right. How DARE she think I need help! I need no one! _ Filled with even more shame and anger, he lashed out. He pushed her away and yelled.

"I don't need any help! Especially from a mudblood and a member of the Golden Trio like you!"

Panting, he waited for her to retaliate or walk out. All he got was a few moments of silence and then a quiet answer,

"That may be Lucius, but others seem to think that you need help; especially at the Ministry. I'm here to help you and no matter what you say or do, I will. Not. Leave. Understand? Now, I had Binky bring you some breakfast. Please try to at least eat a few grapes. The whole bowl would be better though."

With that, Hermione walked past Lucius, picked up the piece of parchment and with a quiet murmur incinerated it to ash. She then picked up the bowl and set it in front of Lucius. Like a toddler not wanting to eat, Lucius threw the bowl into the wall where it shattered sending grapes everywhere. Hermione let out an exasperated sigh and quietly repaired the bowl and put the grapes back inside it. She levitated the bowl back to Lucius and bound him to his spot on the floor using non-verbal magic. Without a word she walked out of the room and disappeared into the hallway. Lucius mentally cursed himself for feeling a pang of worry and sadness at her retreating form. He really was worthless and pathetic.

After five minutes, Lucius' stomach growled. He ignored it, like always. Another five minutes later, his stomach growled louder. Lucius growled and ignored it once more and stared at the wall in front of him. Ten minutes later his stomach was growling louder and there were hunger pains gnawing at him. He tried again to ignore his body's protest for sustenance. Feeling restless he tried to get up from the floor, but he couldn't. He tried again and failed. It was like he was stuck to the floor. _That bitch! She stuck me to the floor! _

Growling "insufferable bitch" Lucius reached out and grabbed a grape and popped it into his mouth. Before he knew it, he had consumed the entire bowl of grapes.

**OOO**

Hermione looked in the mirror at herself, observing from all angles. Binky had just showed her a wardrobe full of women's dresses with the robes to match. The dress Hermione had on was sky-blue and it fit her like a second skin. She had to admit that the style and color looked good on her and that it boosted her confidence. She needed it for what she was about to attempt today. Taking a deep breath, she called Binky into the lavish room.

"What is you needing miss?" Binky bowed low.

"Binky, I'm going out to take care of a few things. Could you please keep an eye on Lucius while I am gone?"

Binky immediately acquiesced and with another deep breath, Hermione disapparated.


	6. Chapter 6

Patting her hair to make sure it was in place, Hermione walked through the atrium and stopped at a lift. A moment later, one was made available and just as the doors were about to click shut, a slightly tanned, freckled hand shot inside and the doors opened again. A tall, slim young man with bright red hair was revealed. He had a chili bowl haircut and big, light blue eyes that were set in a face covered in freckles. Hermione's chest warmed. The man was Ronald Weasly, the support of the Golden Trio. Since his father was greatly aged, he quit his position as Keeper for Yellow Wasps Quidditch team and worked as his father's assistant in the Muggle Department and was learning the ropes so that one day soon he would be able to take his fathers place. Even though they worked in the same building, Hermione and Ron almost never saw each other during their work hours and only saw each other outside of the workplace on holidays when they would get together at Harry and Ginny's place.

"Hello Ronald, how are you?" Hermione smiled warmly. Ron gave her a warm smile of his own and replied,

"I'm really good 'Mione, what about you?"

Hermione opened her mouth to tell one of her best friends about her case, and then changed her mind. She knew what Ron's reaction would be.

_"What the fuck Mione! NO. NO way am I letting you be in the same room as Lucius fucking Malfoy! No fucking way!" _ Since the war, Ron had developed quite a love for foul language and strong alcohol. Hermione shook her head. _No, it wouldn't do good at all to tell Ron about my case._

"Oh, I'm just working on a case. Nothing out of the ordinary," Hermione said nonchalantly.

"Oh, that's great 'Mione. Well this is my floor, see you later." He gave another warm smile and exited the lift. Hermione began to feel anxious. Two floors later, Hermione exited the lift and made her way to her office to check to see if she any memos or new cases. She didn't. With her heart beginning to pound, she took two steadying breaths and locked her office and made her way down the hall to her boss office; she really hoped that he was in a very good mood. When she approached the door, she noticed that it was closed and muffled angry voices floated their way out. Hermione gulped. _So much for a good mood, _she thought wryly. Conjuring a chair, she put it next to the door and sat down to wait. Not five minutes later two men stormed out of the office, their argument still going on. One of them was indeed Hermione's boss, Brice Caulden.

"I don't care how human those creatures can be! Those vile things raped and murdered my dear Melissa and killed my sister Veronica! I don't want them on parole! They deserve to ROT IN AZKABAN!"

"Too bad Mckinnon! As head of the Ministry Justice department, I say they deserve to be on parole! If you have any other concerns go see the GODDAM MINISTER HIMSELF! GOOD DAY!" with that Brice whirled around, stomped to his office and slammed the door. Hermione sighed. _ I guess Ill have to wait a while before I present him with my idea. _She got up and made to leave when her boss door swung open and revealed him.

"Hermione, my secretary said that you have been waiting for me. Come in."

Hermione smacked herself. She had forgotten that all major offices in the building cam equipped with camera-like devices. The idea came from muggle security cameras and Foe glasses. Hermione made her way inside and closed the door behind her. She noticed that her boss didn't bother to hide his tension. When she sat down in the chair facing him, he offered here a tight smile.

What can I do for my best employee? he asked. Hermione wrung her hands and cleared her throat before beginning.

"Sir, yesterday I received a new case file. It turned out to be Lucius Malfoy. I visited him yesterday afternoon and, quite frankly, he was in a horrendous state. He is psychologically broken and has been physically harming himself. Sire, I came here today to ask you if I could stay with him and work with him only. I know I am no mind healer, but he trusts me and is volatile. He would harm a mind healer the moment they touched him."

Hermione's request was met with silence and a slight scowl from her boss. He then cleared his own throat and responded.

"I am afraid I cannot allow you. You have other responsibilities. You have many other parolees that you have to check on. How about this, you may stay at Malfoy Manor and work with mister Malfoy like you wanted but you will still check on the parolees that you already have on your list and you will not get new case files until you are through with mister Malfoy. Do you find that suitable?" Brice could never deny Hermione anything. She was the brightest witch of her age and the hardest worker. Plus, he wanted to spite Mckinnon.

Hermione beamed.

"Oh Brice! Thank you thank you so much!" she gushed. She stood up and leaned over Brice's desk and gave him a hug then rushed happily out the door. As she prepared to apparate back to the manor, she never realized the chaos that would soon greet her.

**OOO**

The moment Hermione knocked on the door, an extremely disheveled and out of breath Binky opened it. Hermione heard screaming coming from inside.

Oh miss, thank Merlin that you are here! After breakfast, the Master asked where you were and I told him that you were out. Miss, he started screaming and he wont stop! Binky tried to help him but he pushed me away! Miss, he is attempting to harm himself he is! You musts help! Binky cried.

Hermione dropped her purse and ran all the way to the study. Lucius was in the state that Binky described.

"LEFT ME LIKE I KNEW SHE WOULD! NOT EVEN A MUDBLOOD CAN STAND BEING IN THE SAME HOUSE WITH ME! ! ! STUPID WHORE!"

He raised a shiny knife.

Tears ran down Hermione's face as she witnessed this. Without hesitation when she saw the knife, Hermione rushed to his side and dropped to her knees in front of him. With speed and strength she didn't know she possessed, she yanked the knife out of his hands. Lucius roared. Hermione tried her best to stop her tears and she succeeded. She pulled Lucius to her.

"Shhh, Lucius. I didn't leave you. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. Shh, I'm right here," she cooed while running her fingers through his silky hair. Lucius didn't say a word, but he was shaking uncontrollably. Hermione rocked him back and forth and combing her fingers through his hair for the next hour until his shaking stopped.

Hermione was about to let him go when his voice stopped her.

"Why did you leave me Mudblood? Why weren't you here?"

Hermione felt slight irritation at the term Mudblood but let it go. _I've heard it from my parolees so many times that it doesn't even hurt anymore. _

"I went to my office and then spoke with my boss. I will be staying here and working with you only Lucius. You are my number one priority now. However, I will warn you, I will have to check on my parolees so I will be gone from the house for a few hours from time to time." _ But hopefully when the time comes I will have worked with you enough that you will be able to be alone for a time. _

**OOO**

Lucius took her explanation without a word. _She really didn't leave me. She came back. She came back of her own free will!_

"Come on Mr. Malfoy, lets get something to eat."

For some reason, the formal way she addressed him grated on him. He liked it better when she said his name.

"I'm not hungry," he responded. That wasn't a lie. He really wasn't hungry. **Good, you don't deserve to eat. You should know this by now. ** Lucius was startled that the Darkness had spoken to him. It had been a long while since it had made an appearance.

He heard Hermione sigh.

"You need to eat Mr. Malfoy. You need to gain back your strength. Now, I'm going to call Binky to bring us something to eat and I expect you to eat all of it. I will force it down your throat if I have to."

**How dare the Mudblood talk to you like that! You do not deserve to eat! You're worthless! Pathetic! You've done so many wrongs! You deserve to starve as penance! **_The Darkness is right. I do not deserve to eat. How dare she tell me otherwise!_

"I will not eat you filthy Mudblood! I don't deserve it!" he yelled.

**That's right. You don't deserve it. You don't deserve it you don't deserve it you pathetic excuse for a pure blood. You don't deserve it. You don't deserve it. **

_I don't deserve it. I don't deserve it._

"I don't deserve it. I don't deserve it..." The Darkness surrounded him.

**OOO**

Hermione was taken aback when he yelled at her that he didn't deserve it. _What does he mean by that? Is he actually feeling guilt over all the wrongs hes done? _ Her question, however, was answered when he held his head in his hands and began to rock back and forth while muttering,

"I don't deserve it. I don't deserve it. I don't deserve it," over and over again.

Hermione's heart broke for him once again. He truly was messed up. She took him in her arms and rocked him back and forth once again. After he stopped muttering, she let go of him and took his hands from his head and forced him to look at her by framing his face with her hands and looking directly into his eyes.

"Lucius Malfoy, you do deserve to eat. You may have done many terrible wrongs, but there are other ways to atone for them."

Lucius just looked at her blankly and Hermione sighed again before she called for Binky. Binky appeared with a pop and looked around the room with cautious eyes.

"It's alright Binky, I have him calmed down. Could you please brink some bread, grapes and cheese? And maybe a little cup of olive oil too," Hermione requested. Binky bowed low and answered,

"Of course Miss," before he popped out.

There was an awkward silence before Lucius soft, velvet voice caught her attention. _Velvet voice? Really Hermione? You've got to stop thinking like that. _

"Abraxas."

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked.

"My full name is Lucius Abraxas Malfoy. Abraxas was my father's name," he explained.

Hermione was confused. _Why on earth would he tell me his middle name? Hmm, Lucius Abraxas Malfoy. What a gorgeous name...oh for Merlin's sake Hermione stop thinking like that! _Before anything else out of the ordinary could happen, Binky popped back in with a tray full of red and green grapes and two different types of cheese along with a plate of French bread and a small bowl of olive oil to dip it in.

"Thank you so much Binky. You can set it between me and Mr. Malfoy," she ordered. _ I really hope I dont get used to ordering house elves around. _As soon as the tray was settled on the floor Binky popped back out.

"Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, eat," Hermione commanded while she herself reached for a grape and popped it into her mouth. She was surprised when he did exactly that.

**OOO**

The Darkness was suddenly lifted and Lucius detected that earthy scent that was able to calm him. He also detected a soft body against his. He realized it was the Mudblood embracing him. Again. He had finally realized that it really was the Mudblood that had been in his dream the night before.

Lucius didn't know why he told the Mudblood his full name. All he knew was that if she as going to use his name like that she might as well give her his full name. When the Mudblood used his full name, Lucius shivered. The way it fell from her lips felt like a sensual caress. _Hermione, Lucius. Her name is Hermione, not Mudblood. _Lucius ignored his true inner voice and did as HERMIONE commanded. Not being used to eating, he was only able to eat a few bites of the grapes, cheese, and bread before he felt extremely full and sleepy. Without further ado he lay on the floor and fell right to sleep.

**A/N: OKAY GUYS, SOME STUFF HAS COME UP THAT I REALLY HAVE TO DEAL WITH. THEREFORE I WILL NOT BE UPDATING ANY TIME SOON. I WISH I COULD, BUT THAT'S JUST HOW ITS GOING TO HAVE TO BE. I HOPE THAT WHENEVER I DO UPDATE AGAIN YOU GUYS WILL READ AND REVIEW :) FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE RELIGIOUS, PLEASE PRAY FOR ME. **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: OK GUYS, THINGS IN MY LIFE ARE FINALLY GETTING BACK ON TRACK. I DECIDED TO CELEBRATE THIS BY WRITING! SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, CHAPTER SEVEN OF SHATTERED MIRROR:**

Hermione sat there watching Lucius contentedly. _He looks like an angel. _She couldn't deny or chastise herself for that thought. He really did look like an angel when he slept. _I could watch him sleep like this for the rest of my life. Argh! _ At this thought, Hermione did chastise her self for that thought. She had to admit to herself that she was attracted to Lucius Malfoy. To deny that to her self would be like trying to convince her self that Hydrogen wasn't an element on the periodic table. It was stupid. However, she had to try her best to keep from acting on her attraction. _How sick would that be anyway? It's like taking advantage on a terminal cancer patient going through severe chemo! I'm no sick pervert. _Besides, it was Lucius Malfoy. It would _definitely _be in her best interests to keep from pursuing him. _He might be a 'reformed' Death Eater, but that doesn't necessarily mean that his beliefs have changed! Which they haven't by the way! Besides, he's old enough to be my father. In fact, he has a son my age!_

Hermione was taken away from her musings when she heard Lucius begin to snore softly. She smiled tenderly because she knew what was coming next. Right on cue, Lucius began mumbling in his sleep. Hermione wondered what he was dreaming about. From the minor scowl on his face, Hermione figured that his dreams could probably be more pleasant.

Looking at the frown lines on his forehead, Hermione had a strong urge to smooth them away. Before she could do anything to stop herself, she acted on that urge and was successful. Lucius sighed in relief and turned toward her unconsciously. _It's like his body knows where mine is and like a compass, it adjusts itself to point north. _Hermione continued to watch Lucius, unaware of the world around her.

**OOO**

Binky walked through the halls to the study as happy as a clam. Normally he would have winked to the parts of the Manor that he needed to, but his 'servant's instinct' told him to walk instead.

Binky whistled a happy tune as he walked. The Master was really getting help. For a moment, Binky had worried that the Miss would not be able to be able to calm him down but he was proven wrong today. The Miss was successful at calming him down. She even got him to eat! When Binky got to the study, he stood outside the door for just a moment and listened to gauge what type of temperament the Master was in. He heard nothing. Still being cautious, he opened the door silently and was greeted by a scene that both warmed his heart and gave him immense hope and happiness. There on the floor sleeping was his Master, and in his arms also fast asleep was the Miss. Both had small tender smiles on their faces. He quietly retrieved the dirty dishes and slipped out the door.

Washing dishes had always been soothing to Binky, so as he washed his mind wandered back into the past.

Binky had been with the Malfoys since his previous Mistress was eight months along with a young Lord Lucius Malfoy. Master Lucius was always a happy child, always smiling and giggling. He always got into many common childhood scrapes as a boy. He was Binky's charge, therefore Binky was always there with him to give him companionship and attend to his needs. The young Lord Malfoy would hug and tell Binky he loved him constantly. Whenever he did, Binky cried because he was so innocent and unaware of what went on in the world outside of his playroom. At that time, Voldemort began coming into power and Lord Lucius' parents were star struck by the young man whose beliefs were their own. Pureblood Supremacy. Taking the advice from a pamphlet given to them by one of his 'associates' to heart, when young Lord Lucius turned nine they began his 'special education'. Instead of climbing trees around the property, Lord Lucius was holed up in the study for hours studying pureblood history, works written by Salazar Slytherin to name just a few, and having hatred of muggles and muggle-borns pounded into his malleable brain. His parents were successful. Not three months after the start of his 'education' his whole personality had changed. He was cold, hardly smiled or laughed, and treated Binky horribly. There was hardly a day where Binky wasn't washing off his blood from various injuries caused by abuse from young Lord Lucius. However, he loved his young Lord and despite his horrible treatment of him, Binky served Lord Lucius faithfully and enthusiastically. Years passed and Lucius went off to Hogwarts. He was an excellent student and when he graduated, he gave his parents a gift in return for all their hard work on him: The Dark Mark. When his parents saw it, they laughed with joy and told him how proud they were of him. Binky cried non-stop in anguish for the rest of the day.

Ever since Lord Lucius became a Death Eater, many gatherings and parties were held at the Manor exclusively for Death Eaters and their families that supported them. It was at one of these parties that Lucius met Narcissa Black. Her sister, Bellatrix, was a fellow Death Eater. Bellatrix introduced the two and they immediately formed a strong bond. They weren't 'in love' exactly, but they were very fond of each other and lusted after each other strongly. When their parents became aware of their attraction, they encouraged the couple to court and marry not only because Narcissa came from a great pedigree, but also because her sister was a Death Eater and therefore she would keep secrets that were supposed to be kept and basically knew what to expect from her Death Eater husband. They did court and marry. Binky was very happy with this because from the moment his Lord Lucius met Narcissa, he had seen brief glimpses of the old Lord Malfoy. Surely the marriage would warm his heart and turn him into the man he was supposed to become. He was shocked when the 'Dark Lord' himself attended the wedding. He, of course, made a speech at the reception to everyone's awe. The Manor was handed over the new married couple and things were good for a while. Things were not so good though that Master Lucius changed from his dark, cold ways. Binky was crushed. Then things with the Dark Lord became more intense and the Malfoy's marriage became tense. Mistress Narcissa was only loyal to the Dark Lord because of her sister and husband. She didn't worship him, she only tolerated him. Fearing him helped too. The marriage was set to rights briefly when Mistress Narcissa became pregnant and gave birth to young Lord Draco. Things got even better when Lord Voldemort fell and Master Lucius was able to focus on being a good father. And he was a good father. Even though those outside of pureblood society criticized his parenting, young Lord Draco Malfoy never doubted that his father truly loved him. Master Lucius finally began to change for the better much to Narcissa and Binky's delight. The new development was short lived, however, when Lord Voldemort rose once again to wreak more havoc in the Wizarding world. This time the family was being ripped apart for good. Master Lucius became a sycophant for the Dark Lord once again. Binky was glad that the Malfoy's came together on the final battle and defected from Death Eater ranks completely. The stars in Master Lucius' eyes for the Voldemort began to fade when he lost Voldemort's favor and began to see his leader through clearer eyes. In the end he and his wife only had eyes for their son, his whereabouts and safety. Ever since then things have fallen apart. _But now things are finally being put right! For good this time! _Because now Master Lucius had the Miss. The Miss had great potential to become the new Mistress of Malfoy Manor. She was perfect for his Master. His Master now had a second chance to build a life filled with love and happiness without the dark cloud of Voldemort hanging over them.

**OOO**

Hermione didn't know when she fell asleep. All she knew was that she woke up once again with a heavy weight on her stomach and surrounded by a minty aroma. _ Why do I always end up sleeping in the arms of Lucus Malfoy! _ Hermione tried, unsuccessfully, to remove herself from Lucius' embrace. She tried twice more with the same results and gave up with a sigh. She was comfortable anyway. Hermione looked at the ceiling and thought on how much her life had changed since she was eleven. She remembered the exact day, evening in fact, her life had changed.

_(Flashback/FB)_

_It was eight thirty in the evening on a Friday night and Hermione Granger was seated at her desk with a pencil in hand doing some math homework. Unlike other girls her age, every weekend was devoted to homework and reading instead of sleepovers consisting of manicures and gossip. She was an odd thing and not a fun person to be around, especially at a sleepover. Instead of gossiping over a manicure she would probably list all the ingredients in nail polish and how they contribute to nail polish's abilities. How boring. No wonder she doesn't have any friends. She's just too odd. _

_Those weren't her words. They were her fellow female peers'. She had over heard a group of classmates talking during recess. Those words sent Hermione rushing to the restroom to cry her plain brown eyes out. Two minutes into it, a fire sprinkler above her head went off and drenched her and her things making her look like a drowned rat. She cried even harder at this. She knew that every sprinkler in the building was going off. Because of her. She hated when this happened. She couldn't go through emotions like a regular girl! Something always had to happen when she was very mad or sad! She hated it. She wiped excess water from her face, gathered her things and walked dejectedly to her classroom. The repairmen came thirty minutes later and school was let out early five minutes after that. _

_(End of FB)_

Yes, her life had changed. Dramatically, but for the better. Looking back, she realized that she never would have fit in in the Muggle world. She had seen and experienced too much. _Heh, I bet I can relate to a muggle soldier more than to a woman my age. _

Lucius began to stir and she held back a gasp when she caught a glimpse of his eyes after they opened. For the briefest moment, his eyes held an intensity that took her breath away before they became blank and empty. _What was that?? Can someone's eyes be that intense? _ Lucius sat up and looked around before he turned his gaze to her. Her eyes widened when his blank eyes were no longer blank. He looked…content. Relieved. A mixture of those. Smiling softly, she addressed him.

"Hello Lucius , I hoped you slept well," she waited for a response, but none was forthcoming. She was struck with an idea.

"Lucius, we both need to bathe. Why don't we do that and then come back down here and then I'll read out loud? Come on," she smiled and held out her hand. Surprisingly, he put his hand in her own and she fought a shiver when a small electrical shock went up her arm from where their hands were connected. They made their way, with Hermione in the lead, still holding hands.

**A/N: AND THAT IS THE END OF THE…SEVENTH INSTALLMENT OF SHATTERED MIRROR! MAN I SOUND LIKE A TV SHOW ANNOUNCER PERSON…**


	8. Chapter 8

Once they reached the top of the stairs, Hermione called for Binky and requested that he run a bath for Lucius and prepare dinner.

"Of course Missus Hermione!" he squeaked. Confident that Lucius was in good hands, Hermione went to her own bathroom. Relaxing fully in the warm water, Hermione decided to rest her eyes for just a moment.

Five minutes into her short nap, she was awoken by a male scream.

_Oh no!_

Quickly covering herself with a towel she rushed to the source of the screaming. It was coming from the room right next to hers. _I was put next to the master bedroom? _Not bothering to look around she ran to what was probably the bathroom and threw the door open. What she saw made her gasp in horror. Lucius was there, sitting in the tub with a washcloth in his hand and he was scrubbing himself so furiously that his skin was red and there were random beads of blood.

"Lucius stop!" she ran towards him with her arms outstretched.

"Lucius!" Hermione tried to wrestle the cloth out of his tight grip and after a few moments she succeeded. Lucius was still screaming and instead of using the washcloth to rub himself raw he used his nails.

By this time Hermione was sobbing and trying to keep Lucius' hands away from his skin.

"Lucius please stop!" she pleaded, but it was no use. He jerked his hands from her grip and continued his scratching. All Hermione could do was sit and sob as she watched him torture himself.

_No! I can't allow him to continue on like this! Get yourself together Hermione!_

With new determination, she took Lucius' wrists in her hands and held on tight.

"Please stop Lucius."

He did stop, but he was shaking like a leaf. Hermione's heart hurt when she saw the tortured look on his face.

"Oh Lucius," ignoring their state of undress and his blood, Hermione took him in her arms. She held him for what seemed like hours until his shaking stopped. She looked into his face and saw that he was mostly aware of his surroundings.

In the most gentle voice possible, she asked him

"What happened Lucius? Why did you do this?"

His face hardened.

"It was right. I am pathetic. I've been allowing a mudblood touch me, I couldn't even keep my family together. I even killed people. I'm dirty, I'm a disease. I need to get clean. Let me get clean!" He tried to lunge for the washcloth that was only a couple feet away but Hermione held him tight.

_'It'? What is he talking about?_

"Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, you are not pathetic, nor are you dirty or a disease. You're a human being just like like me. You're okay, I'm right here. I'm right here and I'm not going to leave you." Hermione rocked them back and forth. Eventually Lucius' breath evened out and he was calm enough that Hermione could let him go. Trying to keep her eyes on his face, she instinctively reached for her wand and then realized that she left it in her bathroom.

She sighed. She didn't know what to do._ Do I leave him here? Do I take him with me? _Again, her mother's 'muggle magic' saying ran through her mind. _Duh! Hermione, you have two arms and legs, you can go get his clothes yourself! _She stood up.

"Lucius, I'm going into the room, I'll be right back with your clothes, okay?" Getting no response, she left the bathroom and entered the bedroom. Before, in her hurry to get to Lucius, she didn't take the time to observe her surroundings. Now, however, she took a little time to observe surroundings. The bedroom was massive. The walls were predictably a forest green and all of the furniture was covered with white bedsheets. Just by looking, Hermione could tell that the furniture consisted of a giant four poster bed, a wardrobe, a couch, a small table with two chairs, and a dresser with a mirror. The windows had black curtains and a chandelier provided the light. _Such wealth. Heh, I could use some of this money._ Five of Hermione's flats could fit perfectly inside the bedroom alone, and then there was the lavish bathroom. Chastising herself for her thoughts, Hermione figured that his clothes were in the dresser and not the wardrobe.

Finding that she was right, she selected a shirt and pants and for a moment stood there blushing when it occurred to her that he would need underwear as well.

_Does he wear boxers? Briefs? Boxer briefs? What does an ex-Death Eater pureblood rich wizard wear for underwear? What does he look like in underwear alo-Hermione Granger stop your thoughts at once! You're a mature adult woman! Pick him some underwear and leave!_

Hermione found the underwear in the second drawer of the dresser and was pleasantly surprised when she found boxers. Blushing, she picked a pair of green_, go figure, _ones and went back to the bathroom.

"Here are some clothes Lucius." She held them out and gasped when he took them from her hands and gave a "thank you" so quiet that for a moment she thought that she was hearing things. Looking into his eyes, she saw awareness and part of her was happy for it. It was better thank the blank look in his eyes. She left him in the bathroom alone to change and went back to hers to finish bathing.

Freshly dried and dressed with wand in hand she returned to Lucius' room and stood there silently when she saw that all of the sheets covering the furniture were taken down and Lucius was sitting on his bed holding a picture frame. Approaching silently she took a look at the picture inside the frame and an intense wave of sympathy washed over her. It was a picture of the Malfoy family. Draco looked to be about six years old with white blonde hair, chubby cheeks and sparkling blue-gray eyes and was being held by his mother who looked radiant and happy. However, it was Lucius that captured her attention. He had his hair tied behind his neck as usual, but the coldness in his eyes was absent. Instead, they were warm and happy and had a hint of arrogance. He had his arms wrapped around his family and he was smiling a stunning smile. _Is this what the real Lucius Malfoy looks like? _Hermione knew that if the man in the picture was the true Lucius Malfoy, then her heart was in trouble. She was startled when he spoke.

"That was the day when we first took Draco to a Magical Zoo. He was taken by the snakes and gorillas. He begged me and Narcissa to Imperius the gorillas to throw excrement at each other. When we got home after taking the picture at the picture studio, he came up to me and hugged me and told me that it was the best day of his life. Now, the best day of his life was when he was truly free of the Dark Lord. He can't even stand to look at me now."

Hermione's heart hurt again. The man in front of her was not Lucius Malfoy; it was a heartbroken man who was lost and alone. Kneeling down on the floor so that she was looking up at him instead of down, she put her hands on top of his.

"Lucius, you'll see him again. He's a little angry right now, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't love you. He just needs a little time."

Lucius didn't say anything. After a few long moments Hermione got up and held out her hand.

"Come on Lucius, let's go downstairs and read."

Her smile faltered when he glared at her.

"I'm no child. Don't patronize me!"

Hermione's temper flared before she tamped it down and spoke in a calm voice.

"You can stay up here if you want, Lucius. It's just that earlier you indicated that you wouldn't mind reading. You're right, you're an adult. By all means, stay up here. I'll be downstairs if you need me. Or Binky."

Hermione quietly exited the room, slightly hurt.

**A/N: OK, GUYS, THINGS WENT DOWN HILL AGAIN BUT...WELL...SHIT (PARDON MY FRENCH) HAPPENS AND ALL THERE IS TO DO IS WIPE, FLUSH THE TOILET, SHOWER AND START AGAIN (TERRIBLE ANALOGY I KNOW. BLAME THE GUY WHO GOT IT STUCK IN MY HEAD) BUT YEAH. SO HOPEFULLY THIS FALL I'LL HAVE A GOOD SCHOOL YEAR. :) SO YEAH, WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS THAT I'LL WRITE REGARDLESS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING BECUASE IT'S BASICALLY THERAPEUTIC TO ME ANYWAY. I'M SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG TO UPDATE :( R&R IF YOU CAN GUYS! THANKS SO MUCH**


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: ALL RECOGNIZABLE CHARACTERS AND SITUATIONS BELONG TO J.K. ROWLING ONLY. I OWN EVERYTHING ELSE. **

Hermione stared at the page in deep contemplation. She had been 'reading' the same page for half an hour.

_How can I help him? He's been so disagreeable when it comes to my help. _

It had been three whole days since the 'bath incident' and things hadn't gotten any better. It seemed like Lucius was more lucid and aware, however problems arose at night. The first night, Hermione woke to a screaming Lucius. She went into his room and tried to wake him. The moment her hand touched him, he seemed to calm. Relieved that the screaming had stopped, Hermione went back to her bedroom. Twice more she awoke to a screaming Lucius. The third time, she just decided to sleep next to him. That seemed to do it. Hermione was lulled to sleep by his breathing and scent and there was no screaming for the rest of the night.

As had happened before, Hermione awoke cuddled up to Lucius but when he woke up, it was a different story.

_(Flashback)_

_Hermione awoke in the same position as always when she slept with comfortable to get up, Hermione stayed where she was for a moment. All of a sudden, the arm accross her stomach tensed. Looking up, she saw that Lucius was awake and glaring at her. He sat up quickly. _

_"What are you doing here!" he yelled. Hermione sat up as well._

_"I was just-"_

_"Get out of my room!" Lucius continued to yell. _

_"Luci-"_

_"GET OUT!" He roared. Gasping, Hermione ran out the door as fast as she could. She slammed the door to her room and leaned against it, gasping for breath. What the hell had just happened?_

_(End of FB)_

Another problem was that he was not eating. Everytime she and Binky tried, he would throw the food to the floor. When Hermione had asked why, he told her that it was because he "deserved it". No matter how hard Hermione tried to convince him otherwise, he stuck to his reasons. Hermione was worried that soon, his body would give out on him and he'd die. Somehow, she had a feeling that that was what he wanted. Eternal rest. _NO, I will not let that happen! _She slammed her book shut and called out to Binky?

"Yes miss?" He asked.

"Binky, would you please bring me a turkey sandwich with mayonaise and lettuce? And a cup of pumpkin juice please."

"Yes miss."

A few moments later Binky came back with the requested food. Hermione made sure to thank Binky and took out her wand and cast a charm to levitate the tray. She made her way upstairs and down the hallway to Lucius' room. Without knocking, she entered the room.

"Lucius, I've brought food."

Hermione did not get an answer. She looked up and saw Lucius freshly showered and once again looking at the photograph of his family. Ignoring the food for just a moment, she went to him and sat next to him on the bed. They sat there in silence. When she realized that he was not going to speak, she spoke instead.

"How are you feeling Lucius?"

She was surprised when she apparently got an honest answer.

"Worthless."

"Worthless? Why do you feel worthless?"

"Stay out of my business. It's not like you care anyway." He snapped. With a gentle voice Hermione responded.

"On the contrary, I do care. I'm here to be your friend, not just your parole officer."

He didn't respond to her statement. Hermione sighed.

"I brought you food Lucius. I want you to eat it. You're too thin. If I come back and you haven't eaten I swear to whatever higher power is up there that I will Imperious you and make you eat."

Not waiting for a response, she swept out the door and went back downstairs to read.

**OOO**

Lucius glared at the tray of food hatefully, How dare she treat him like a child! Remembering the look she gave him when she made the threat, he reluctantly found himself getting up from his bed and retrieving the food. He snorted. He was sure that the look she gave him was the look she gave Potter and Weasley when she would boss them around. If that was the case, no man on Earth would be able to resist that look of authority and promises of following through whatever threat she made.

He noticed that the sandwich was made to his liking. _How did she know how I like my turkey sandwiches?_ Before he knew it, he had finished the sandwich and had drained his goblet. Still not used to eating, he felt very full and sleepy. He went back to his bed and laid down and fell asleep. Right before he drifted off, he prayed that the Darkness would let him sleep in peace for once.

**A/N: HEY GUYS :) I'M SORRY THAT THIS CHAPTER IS SHORTER THAN THE REST. IT HAS BEEN A VERY STRESSFUL WEEK. ANOTHER ONE OF MY STEPFATHER'S CHILDREN PASSED AWAY FROM CANCER ON SUNDAY SO WE'VE BEEN BUSY WITH THAT. TRAGIC HUH? SHE WAS ONLY 40 YEARS OLD. THE FIRST ONE WAS ONLY 34. SAD ISN'T IT? **

**AND BEFORE YOU GET CONFUSED WITH THE AGES, LET'S JUST SAY THAT MY MOTHER PREFERS OLDER MEN :P**

**'TIL NEXT TIME **


	10. Chapter 10

Two weeks passed with little to no improvement. Lucius was still having nightmares almost every night, every meal was a fight with him, and he was always in a foul mood. He stayed upstairs, holed up in his room. Hermione tried her best to get him to come downstairs with her, but it was no use. The only response she would get was his angry remarks. The only real improvement was his continued state of lucidity.

There were times when she wished she could go back to work, but the moment the thought would cross her mind she would chastise herself. Lucius needed her and she would stick with him no matter how hard things got.

However, she did admit to herself that she needed a break. She had not seen her friends and family in months and she realized that now would be the perfect time to see them. _'Yes, I think I'll see Harry and Ginny first and then Ron and his family.' _Grinning widely at the prospect of being able to see her friends and their family that had also become her family, she got up off of the chair in the den and went looking for Binky.

After a fruitless search of the first floor Hermione went up the stairs to the second floor and called out for Binky. Instantly, Binky popped in right in front of her.

"Miss is looking for the humble Binky?" He bowed low. Hermione was confused. He had never bowed to her before, nor referred to himself as 'humble'. For a moment Hermione was concerned for the line he uttered sounded a lot like a...slave. It was something that sounded like a slave would say to a master. It sounded as if she were above him and was owed the utmost respect. Filing it away, she looked down and smiled at the little elf.

"Yes Binky. I am going to go out and visit some friends and I just wanted to let you know that if you need me for anything regarding Lucius, don't hesitate to come and find me okay?" Hermione made sure that it did not sound like an order.

"Of course Miss Hermione."

With that, Hermione went to her room to pick out an outfit. She was half way out of her room wearing lavender silk dress with the robes to match when she realized that Harry and Ginny would question her on her expensive outfit. _'No, they absolutely cannot know that I am helping Lucius Malfoy.' _Taking her wand out of its holster, Hermione transfigured her outfit into something that she would wear normally: jeans, t-shirt, and trainers. She was finally satisfied and went next door to Lucius' room. Even though she knew she would get no answer, Hermione knocked on the door. Sure enough there was no answer from withing so she turned the knob and pushed the door open.

"Lucius?"

She found Lucius lounging on his bead, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Lucius, I am going out for a little while. I'm going to go visit my friends. I'll be back later okay?"

She gasped when she saw the menacing glare he gave her. _'What did I say?'_

"I thought I told you not to patronize me witch," he growled. Hermione sighed in relief and gave an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry Lucius. I didn't mean to. I just wanted to let you know that I was going out."

"And why would I care if you left or not? Go away."

His gaze turned back to the ceiling. Hermione scowled in irritation. _'Why does he always have to be so difficult!' _

Before she let her sharp tongue get the better of her, she rolled her eyes and firmly closed the door. She exited the house and grumbled all the way to the gate. With a huff, she turned on the spot and apparated to Harry and Ginny's flat.

**OOO**

Ginny was softly humming to herself as she cleaned the living room windows when she heard the wards alert her that a visitor had apparated in front of the door. _'Who could that be?' _she wondered. She walked to door where her Visitor Glass was mounted next to the door. The image of her husband's best female friend came into view and she smiled. It had been so long since Hermione had visited them. She unlatched the door and opened it wide.

"Hello Hermione!"

She pulled her in and closed the door behind them firmly. After the customary offering of drinks they went and sat down in the living room. Ginny took a sip and as she looked at her friend over the rim of her glass, she noticed that Hermione was...nervous. When Harry was nervous he got silent, but with Hermione, the indicator was her restless hands. Whenever Hermione was nervous or anxious she could not keep her hands still and ended up picking at her robes or jeans. However, Hermione did not look ready to share so Ginny filed her observation away for later analysis.

"So what's going on sister?" Ginny winked. It was an inside joke between them that stemmed from the brief time Hermione and Ron had seriously dated. Since she was the only girl in a multitude of siblings, she had very much hoped that Ron and Hermione would marry and that would give her the sister she never had. Needless to say, that hope was dashed very quickly. Ever since then, the girls would joke about it and call each other 'sister'.

"Nothing much. Working as usual."

Ginny knew that she was lying because as she made that statement her eyes shifted. She gave the famous Weasley glare.

"Hermione Granger, what is really going on?"

Hermione's shoulders slumped and a wary look entered her eyes.

"Look," she said, "I wish I could tell you, really I do, but I'm really scared of how you might react. It's...complicated."

Ginny was stunned. _'What's going on?'_

"Hermione, I can't believe you don't know me by now. I won't judge you on anything, you know that."

Hermione sighed and then took a deep breath,

"I'm living in Malfoy Manor and I'm helping Lucius Malfoy," she rushed out. Ginny's mind was blank with shock.

"Wait, what?"

"I have been living in Malfoy Manor, Ginny."

A flash of anger and disgust went through her but she tamped it down.

"How did this come about?"

"Well, Lucius' case file was assigned to me and when I went to visit him I found him in a very bad...state. He needs help Ginny. I have been trying to help him. It has worked, but barely."

Ginny was speechless. A thought occurred her.

"Harry and Ron must not know. Not yet."

Hermione's eyes widened.

"Oh no, of course not! I was not planning on telling anybody really."

Ginny nodded and the subject was dropped and they spoke about other subjects.

Later, as Hermione was walking away from the apartment, she decided she would not visit the Weasleys. If she did, her secret would be out for sure. _'I'll just visit my parents instead. I haven't seen them in a while anyway.'_

**A/N: SORRY GUYS FOR THE LONG HIATUS :/ RL AND VACATION KINDA GOT IN THE WAY, PLUS THIS CHAPTER WAS DIFFICULT TO WRITE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE :) I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER :)**_  
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